On April 6, 2009, DOD Secretary Robert Gates announced his department’s key FY2010 budget recommendations one of which is that “Third, we will terminate the $26 billion transformational satellite program, TSAT, and instead will purchase two more advanced extremely high-frequency satellites as alternatives.”

President Barack Obama, hosting school kids and members of Congress, called the crews of the shuttle Discovery and the international space station today, quizzing the astronauts about life in space and offering congratulations for a successful station assembly mission. Transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-in-Conversation-with-International-Space-Station-via-Satellite/

On March 18, 2009, the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing on space and national security. Subcommittee Chairman Tauscher’s Opening Statement Video Webcast (Due to a technical issue, the volume begins working around minute 14 of the video.) Witnesses: Mr. Bruce W. MacDonald (pdf) Author of recent Council on Foreign …